Practitioner record · Checked 7 Nov 2026
Melissa Mendez has been in practice 8 years and is licensed in Texas. Melissa lists stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and grief among 25 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Melissa's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Melissa works with
Melissa lists 14 specialisms and 11 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Melissa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Melissa's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
Hello and Welcome, My name is Melissa and I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the states of Texas and Oklahoma although currently residing in Waco, TX. My experience in the mental health field has been focused primarily on working with families with young children and the specific challenges that face families, parents, and children. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been working to build my telehealth therapy practice. I have been providing EMDR therapy to treat trauma and other issues for the past three years and have seen the effectiveness of the treatment that is an evidence-based therapy for treatment of PTSD and additional mental health challenges including depression and anxiety. I work diligently to help my clients manage trauma responses, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and relational challenges that are often present when dealing with a mental health struggle.
I was led to the mental health field after completing my undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University in Nutritional Sciences. I have been working exclusively online since the beginning of the pandemic. I have continued to focus on identifying trauma responses and helping our nervous systems regulate after exposure to stress, adversity, and trauma. I have 8 years experience working with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms and the courageous clients that are seeking help and hoping for a more peaceful way of living.
My style as a therapist is typically warm but direct, collaborative, and mindful of your personal autonomy. I find myself using person-centered, attachment-informed, trauma-informed, and integrative treatment approaches to tailor your treatment plan to best meet your needs. I work best with individuals who are interested in self -reflection and developing a growth mindset. I utilize evidence-based treatments primarily including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). In my experience, each client has unique needs that dictate the length of therapy. I believe in both structure and flexibility in therapy.
After reading all of that, I want you to know I'm a real person just like you who is trying to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. I do not believe that therapy is a quick fix for all that ails but I do believe that with time, effort, and consistency we can work together to tap in to your innate resources to move toward wellness. As a person who has been on both sides of the proverbial couch, I know that therapy can be a powerful and important part of the journey! I wish you all the best as you carefully search for and select a clinician. If you choose, I look forward to being a part of your journey.
Melissa Mendez, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026
03 · How Melissa works
These are the clinical methods Melissa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Melissa's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Melissa runs a session.
04 · What happens next
Melissa practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Melissa's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Melissa at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Melissa is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Melissa.
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
05 · Before you commit
Built from what Melissa actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Melissa's - Melissa has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”
Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.
“How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”
Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
06 · Practical details
07 · Provenance
Melissa's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Melissa. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.
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